Letter to the Editor

In every election since 1988 someone has told me that voting Green is a waste of my time, and by doing so I will be responsible for electing a federal Conservative or provincial Liberal government.

Well, the truth is that since 1993, when I first voted Green, we have elected Canada’s first Green MP in British Columbia in 2011, then Canada’s first Green MLA in 2013, followed by a Green MLA in New Brunswick in 2014. And I intend to volunteer and work for the election of more Green MPs and Green MLAs for the rest of my life, and do not appreciate people telling me that my vision and values are a waste of time to strive and vote for.

Most recently the Liberal and NDP parties had 131 seats and 47.7% of the vote after the 2006 federal election, as compared to 123 seats and 36.3% support for the Conservatives. After the 2008 election the Liberals and NDP still had 114 seats and 44.4% support of the electorate as compared to the Conservatives’ 143 seats and 37.7% support. So, through two elections and parliaments, the Liberals and the NDP, with confidence and supply from the Bloc Quebecois, could have formed the majority in the House of Commons. However, for reasons they need to explain, chose not to do so.

I therefore really object to people lecturing me in public when they are espousing support of another political party that, when it had the chance to: bring in electoral reform and a proportional Canadian voting system; take action on climate change; maintain our role in the world as a peacekeeper etc., chose not to follow through. Between 2006 and 2011 I even attended public meetings where it was agreed that we needed to support a coalition government and an electoral alliance, but it all came to naught.

So in this election I will work for Bill Green (who I have known of for over 20 years), because of his own work with First Nations and businesses like Teck in pursuit of water ecosystem protection and the bringing of salmon over the border into Canada.

Bill has the vision and personality I want in Ottawa – to help develop cross-party support in the House of Commons for creation of policy and action that will be in the best interest of all Canadians.

And in this election I am encouraging New Democrats, Liberals, Conservatives and Greens to consider Bill Green as their future MP, in order to build a coalition for change that moves us away from the “attack dog” politics that now so sadly dominate our House of Commons. I want to work for someone who offers positive change, knows how to bring people together from across the political spectrum, and who will not say that what I worked for over the last 22 years of my life has been a waste of time.

If you want to suggest to me that I should consider some other option than voting for the Green Party and Bill Green, I recommend you need to tell me why another party’s vision, values and policies and candidate are better. Otherwise you are just contributing to all the negativity that currently dominates and turns so many people off Canadian politics.

Andy Shadrack,

Kaslo

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